Tamagawa International Preschool/Kindergarten (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo)

1-17-5 Tsurumaki, Setagaya-ku
Tokyo 154-0016
Phone: (03) 3439-8685 International call +81-3-3439-8685 info@tips-japan.com
Tamagawa International Preschool’s curriculum has been developed to meet standards consistent with, and incorporating elements of, Early Elementary curriculums in the U.K. and North America and Australia . The school adopts an investigative, student directed, learning approach seeking to create a learning environment that gives children the optimum benefit in their first learning experiences. The Kindergarten program goals and teaching style encourage children to be bold, and to be confident in expressing their opinions in their learning.

The absence of a high-pressure learning environment lets children be risk-takers who are guided to learn to contribute their own ideas to learning. Learning is focused on the process of learning, where children can experiment with thoughts and ideas to ultimately achieve learning objectives in a much more rewarding fashion than would be achieved through just an evaluation of the end the process of their learning. More about its programmes here.

I used to direct this school as the Head. The previous owners established the school with the above philosophy of education in mind. I left the school after new ownership came in because of their arrogant disregard for some of the fundamental priorities of operating a legitimate school.

The current owners paid no regard to these founding principles and even despite an offer to explain how the curriculum was originally designed to deliver this kind of education, they didn’t bother to listen. The didn’t understand what I’d created at all but still use the same, unaltered, promotional information I created (and even most of the pictures of me in my tenure there – years after) to advertise their school.

The current owners of school came from a business background, where they were more interested in promoting a “product” and cutting operation costs by hiring teachers whose qualifications were lacking or non-existent to replace me after I tendered my resignation .

It was truly a shame to see a school with so much potential develop this way. I only hope that in the time since my decision to leave the school, they have learned about what should be prioritized in education and are able to competently meet the needs of the children attending and their families.